Holograms are typically used as media for preventing forgery (counterfeiting); however, holograms which cannot be distinguished from genuine ones are now being produced. Therefore, an approach has been tried in which the hologram is combined with an anisotropic layer exhibiting birefringence and a code made visible through a polarizing plate is additionally provided.
Japanese Patent No. 4054071 discloses a medium for preventing forgery obtained by patterning an optical axis in an optically anisotropic layer produced by a crosslinked liquid crystal monomer using an alignment layer. Although there is a description about embodiments in which a laminar structure including the crosslinked liquid crystal monomer and the alignment layer is disposed on the hologram, there is no description about specific examples. Further, when the optically anisotropic layer is disposed on the hologram according to the production steps described in Japanese Patent No. 4054071, the hologram is affected by light irradiation or heat treatment used in the process so that it is conceivably difficult to practically provide the medium for preventing forgery. Furthermore, since the optical axis patterning steps are complicated, the production of the medium for preventing forgery comprising the combination of the hologram and the optically anisotropic layer in accordance with the method of Japanese Patent No. 4054071 is conceivably difficult. Moreover, in a method of patterning the optical axis by making retardation constant, it is difficult to change color hue unless the optically anisotropic layer is formed as a multilayer.
JP-A-2005-91786 (“JP-A” means unexamined published Japanese patent application) discloses a medium for preventing forgery having a hologram and an optically anisotropic layer, which is manufactured by providing the optically anisotropic layer by printing. However, it is difficult to obtain a clear latent image by uniformly aligning liquid crystals by printing. Further, since images become binary images consisting of inked spots and uninked spots in printing, realization of a more complicated forgery prevention design with an elevated effect is also difficult. Furthermore, since a transparent substrate is an essential constituent element in the medium for preventing forgery, the following problems are observed:    (1) When the medium for preventing forgery is used as a label, its thickness is large.    (2) There is a possibility of the medium for preventing forgery being separated and reused again and again.    (3) Due to the added-phase difference of the transparent substrate, the colors that can be rendered may be limited or the contrast in the latent image pattern may decline.